Mark Duggan: New Footage Of Shooting That Sparked London Riots Emerges

26/04/2012 21:45

PA

New footage has emerged of the aftermath of the police shooting that triggered last summer's riots.

Mark Duggan was killed during a pre-planned operation involving officers from the Metropolitan Police's Trident gun crime unit in Tottenham, north London, on August 4.

The video, obtained by the BBC, was filmed by someone who says they witnessed the shooting.

It shows attempts by paramedics to save Mr Duggan's life as well as footage of his body covered by a red blanket.

An audio expert has told the broadcaster that the witness can be heard on the tape saying that Mr Duggan jumped out of a car and police twice shouted: "Put it down."

The Independent Complaints Commission is still carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, with an inquiry into his death failing to establish the sequence of events concerning a handgun found at the scene.

The watchdog has condemned the BBC's decision to broadcast the footage before it has seen it.

IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "The IPCC is conducting a sensitive investigation of considerable public interest.

"Given this, it is particularly disappointing that BBC News did not afford us the opportunity to view this footage in advance of broadcast, despite our repeated requests.

"Broadcasting this footage is likely to have caused considerable distress to Mr Duggan's family, friends and the local community, in addition to potentially prejudicing our investigation and any legal process that may follow.

"We have asked the BBC to pass our contact details to the witness and would urge them to come forward. We fully expect BBC News to now pass us the unedited footage so we are able to fully assess its implications."

The video, which appears to have been filmed through a window of a building opposite the scene from several storeys up, begins after the shooting.

An air ambulance can be seen hovering overhead as paramedics attempt to revive Mr Duggan near the grey people carrier taxi he was travelling in.

The taxi is blocked in by an unmarked police car and an ambulance is parked nearby.

The witness provides occasional commentary of what has happened and recounts the moments before the filming began.

The BBC has used an actor to relay these comments to protect the source of the video, who wishes to be anonymous.

According to the audio analyst, the witness says on the tape: "They blocked him in, they blocked him in. He jumped out... And then he's taken out, shot him... because I heard them shout at him yeah, 'Put it down, put it down."

A BBC spokeswoman said Mr Duggan's family were aware that the footage would be shown on television.

"The BBC is fully aware of the sensitivities around this story and ensured that Mark Duggan's family were informed about the footage before it was broadcast.

"Requests for BBC un-transmitted material are dealt through our legal department, regardless of the subject matter. We require requests for un-transmitted material to be made through the courts."

Both the IPCC and Scotland Yard have admitted mishandling the way they dealt with Mr Duggan's family in the aftermath of the shooting.

Initial reports that Mr Duggan shot at police were dismissed by ballistic tests which later found that a bullet which lodged itself in one officer's radio was police issue.

Police failed to formally notify the family of his death, giving his parents, Pamela Duggan and Bruno Hall, false hope.

Relatives subsequently complained about their treatment, which was upheld by the IPCC.

A coroner's officer has said a provisional date of January 28 2013 has been set for Mr Duggan's inquest - but only if the eight-week inquest is given the go-ahead during a review on October 23.

An alternative could be a special inquiry where some evidence is heard behind closed doors, it is understood.